Customer Reviews

BUZZ Jr.! Jungle Party Bundle

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This game works well for little kids, and even older kids and adults (okay, parents of kids) can enjoy this game. I play this game with my wife, 9yr old son, and 6 yr old daughter. My 8 yr old nephew and 10 yr old niece also visit and play this game.
What's great about this game is that there are only 5 buttons, the big red button and the 4 colored horizontal tab buttons, and no directional pad or stick, so it's easy for little kids to play the game. The color coding of the buttons actually adds to the learning aspect of this game, since there are some stages where the screen shows a certain color, and you have to hit the corresponding colored button, so a very young kid can learn their primary colors this way (well, red, blue, green, yellow, and orange, anyway). One nifty feature that isn't mentioned much is that the big red button lights up during some of the events, which is both useful and can add a bit excitement for the little kids.
There's enough randomness to this game that luck can help the younger kids win some of the stages (and makes it easy for parents mask intentional mistakes to even out the score).
Note that the 4 buzzers ARE connected via wire, and can get tangled up. The upside to this is an integrated dummy cord for each buzzer, so you can't lose them! The cords are pretty long, and since it's connected via USB cable, you can add an extension cord for the bigger living rooms.

Ever since the world was introduced to "Mario Party" people just can't get enough of party games. "Buzz Junior: Jungle Party" is yet another party game that attempts to capture some of the popularity of the aforementioned game. The problem games like this normally has is if a game requires a special controller, the game normally fails to catch on("Dance Dance Revolution" is a rare exception). Thankfully, "Buzz Junior: Jungle Party" takes care of this problem by not only including the special Buzz Remote (or Buzz Buzzers), but by including four of them (no batteries required). This means that one purchase will fulfill all the requires to get a party together and play "Buzz Junior: Jungle Party." But is it any fun?

Well, being 22 years old, I can't say this is something me and my friends got into. However, a party with a much younger crowd wielded better results. A Sunday school class I help out with once in awhile had a blast with this game. They were laughing at the monkeys antics, buzzing the buzzers to match up with the actions on screen, and squealing with delight whenever they got more points. A particular mini-game, one that involved entering and exiting the mouths of lions, is especially worthy of mention, as this is the mini-game that got the most play time as well as the most laughs. Though the game is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and up), I found very little to complain about with the game.

It was mildly crude, yes, but also inoffensive. Now, keep in mind, this isn't a game "I" would play in my free time. Most older gamers will find this game to try their patience a bit too much. But little kids are different. Kids love bright colors, funny animals, and cute music. They love playing games that are competitive, but they also like games that don't leave the losers feeling bad about themselves. In this sense, "Buzz Junior: Jungle Party" is a huge success, and an easy recommendation for parents with kids. And who knows, maybe the parents will get into the game too? Because I have to admit, given the right environment, even I found a certain charm to the Buzzers.

My 11 year old son is the main video game player in this house. As a matter of fact, none of the rest of us have much interest at all. My little four-year-old thinks they're fun, but she plays the educational computer games and we haven't bought any PS2 or Wii games yet for her age group.

I thought my son might be more reluctant to play this, but he wound up thinking it was very entertaining. He usually plays more involved adventure games and, of course, guitar hero. He had a friend sleep over, though, and I insisted that he at least try this.

After about 45 minutes, he came upstairs and said he actually enjoyed this one a lot-- way more than he expected it to be. My youngest daughter, too, enjoyed it along with my 15 year old daughter and my son's friend.

He said there are a few games on here that are hysterical. And, the game is surprisingly a lot of fun to play. And, to top it off, his friend plans on purchasing his own copy to play at home. So, it can definitely be considered a hit.

It was difficult to review this product only because the controllers, or the game, not sure which, malfunctioned. The game itself, when I was able to play it, was very enjoyable. The levels are fun and there are enough of them to keep you coming back to play. I tried it with my 7 and 4 year old kids. Sure, they got mad at each other because you get to throw bananas, knock your opponent out, and so forth. But, they wanted to play again. So, it was a big hit at our house. Unfortunately, the kids wanted to play again and so we hooked up the contoller to the USB port and that's when the controllers no longer worked. They began choosing options on their own and it went into a big "loop" where the same buttons where being chosen and so you couldn't start the game. And since the controllers were all linked on one "hub" you couldn't unplug it to troubleshoot which controller was bad.

I e-mailed Amazon to see about getting another controller so that I can write a fair review, but they haven't gotten back to me. But, it is the holidays and so, I forgive them for that. They are usually very attentive. Especially being a Vine member.

I gave the game a 3 star rating. The game itself deserves a 4. But the controllers themselves, don't seem to be working so to me that's a very big part of the game. I give it a 2. So, I met in the middle of the two ratings.

Now, if my paddles worked with no problem, then I'd give the game 4 stars, only because with this type of game, it requires paddles and you are at their mercy.

This game itself deals around monkeys in the jungle. Problem with this is that it can get kinda old seeing monkeys on every level. It would've been better to change from monkey's, to hippos, to other animals for some variation. The games themselves are pretty easy to start and get acquainted with. Simply press the correct color or buzzer on your controller. This is a good concept, and they should develop more games that use this method of play. This would be good for "Jeopardy" type games.

The paddles themselves look rugged, but as you can see from above, mine stopped working after only 3 times of playing. And it wasn't very long either.

I also judge a game on whether or not, I need instructions to learn how to play. But, with this game, I didn't even look at the instructions once. I was able to start the game and play with no problem. So, the controls and game play are intuitive.

You may need to explain to the younger kids though.

To sum up this review, I recommend this game for you and your family for some good, clean, Playstation 2 enjoyment. But, keep in mind the paddles are a key component. No paddles, no game.

This game is great from many aspects and it's true that it's ageless for family fun. The first day we got this game the kids played it for about 3 hours straight until my husband and I got in on the action. The game play is easy to grasp for old and young alike. They have the Buzz controllers, which basically each have four colored buttons, Orange, Green, Yellow, and Blue, and one big red "Buzz" button. Having looked at what other games are available for the Buzz controller, there appears to be a few quiz games, where obviously, the Buzz button is like on TV game shows, pressed to indicate you want to answer the question.

With Jungle Party, you choose which color Monkey you want as your character in the game, and choose clothing for him/her. You enter a name for your monkey, and choose what length of game you want to play. Short is five of the games, Medium, 10 of the games, Long, 20 of the games, and Marathon which is all 40 games. Mind you, a marathon game can take 2 hours to play.

The games are a mixture of nerve, skill, observation and luck, but they are all really fun to play. As an example, you are all sat in a Jacuzzi type tub with a gorilla, when the gorilla is asleep, you break wind to score points, but if he wakes up while you are still breaking wind, then you get a slap across the back of the head and lose your points. Other's see you throwing bananas at each other to pop balloons, playing Snap, hitting critters as they pop out of holes and others. You don't mind losing the games either as it's fun seeing the consequences of your mistakes.

This is a great game to pick up and play for all ages, you are given instruction how to play the game before you do, and it's easy enough to relay those to younger members of the family if need be. The only gripe I might have with the games is that some are really similar to others, but you are able to create custom lists of games, so that you only play the games that everyone likes.

The graphics are really nice, colorful and the characters, both playing and background are a joy to see. There is a voice-over trying to provide encouragement, but after a few games, this can get repetitive and annoying. This game is great in a party atmosphere, admittedly, only four people can play at one time, but as it is a Buzz Junior game, and really aimed at kids, it's great fun to watch as well as play. Go buy it.

This is the best games. Everyone loved it from my 4YO nephew to 80YO grandparents. And the kids were thrilled that the grandparents were playing their games with them. The monkeys are adorable. There are a bunch of games and they are simple enough for a 4YO to understand and intuitive enough for the grandparents - who haven't played video games since the Atari 2600 went out of style. The teens in the family couldn't stop laughing with the monkeys. This game made our holiday get-together even more fun.

Why you should buy this:
- 25 awesome games
- Hilarious monkeys
- Great grahpics
- Fun for the whole family
- Can play with 2 or 4 players (easy to find)
- Very intuitive
- Makes everyone laugh

Just a few minor cons:
- Not always real challenging
- Probably would not interest a "halo 3" serious gamer type
- occasionally the buzzers feel limiting
- single player mode not as much fun but still ok
- after a while, the commentator can get annoying

Overall, we love it! Highly recommended!

At first glance, this game may seem like a children's game. Fear not, as my friends and I (in our late 20s/early 30s) found this party game quite entertaining. The box itself says it is for people aged 10+. Some of the mini-games may be a bit too complex for younger children, but they will love it just as much!

For those of you familiar with Nintendo's Mario Party games, this game would be fairly similar (without the board that you run around). There are 25 mini-games -- its more like 8 or 10 games, since a few of them are just slight variations of each other. With the included 5-button controllers, players (or shall I say monkeys) compete against one another to the top.

PRO:
- Plenty of games to pass some time (takes around 1 to 1.5 hrs to play all 25 mini-games)
- Ability to customize the monkeys
- Decent graphics
- Ability to utilize the included controllers for other BUZZ games

CON:
- Controls could be made better. Sometimes its not sensitive enough -- requires pressing 2+ times for the game to respond
- The commentator gets pretty annoying (It tries to encourage the player in last place, and praise the players that do a good job)
- Not enough variation in the mini-games. They used the same formula over and over again.


Overall, my friends and I enjoyed this game very much, and would recommend it to those seeking a fun party game.

I wanted this game for versatility for the whole family. I must say, however, that the single player mode is pretty limited. You have to work through the same set of tasks each time with no choice of length of game. The multiplayer mode lets you choose length of game (short to long) & create your own sets of tasks. In either mode, you cannot jump forward, so it has the potential of getting a tiny bit monotonous.

Some other cons: There is no pause button, and the voice-over is a bit annoying.

All that being said, I still give this 4.5 - 5 stars. Overall, this was quite fun with a lot more versatility than most games. There are games of chance for the very young (ages 4-5?), but there are also a lot of games that require a degree of co-ordination. And, it's something the extra young can play with the older kids (or even adults), with up to 4 players at once, with nobody left out. That's quite a feat.

BUZZ Jr.! Jungle Party Bundle is a PlayStation II game for 1-4 players. (Single players play against the computer; multiple players against one another.) The game comes packaged with special controllers whose confusing snake of wires ultimately plug into your PlayStation's USB port. The controllers have a big red button on the top and four rectangular color buttons on their thumb side. There are 25 mini games. When you start up a game you can elect to play a short, medium, or long match, which consist respectively of four, ten, or twenty mini games. Each of the mini games only takes a few minutes to play. A three-person match of medium length took us about a half hour to complete. In a standard game you do not control which mini games you play, but it's possible to create custom multiplayer games in which you do select your mini games.

The mini games are all very easy to understand. Some require luck, some guesswork; many test the players' ability to quickly match colors on the screen with the colors on their controllers. Many of the games are similar to one another: there are a couple of variations on the game Wonderball, for example, in which a player needs to pass an item to another player before, say, it explodes or causes one's parachute not to deploy. And a game in which one is rewarded for keeping one's head in a lion's mouth for a long time--but not too long--has a conceptual twin in the game which rewards one for..carbonating a bath while a gorilla naps. Whack-a-Squirrel requires players to respond quickly to the color of the hole a squirrel pops out of, and similar skills are required in the hurdle-jumping and log-rolling games.

Players all appear as monkeys who are distinguished by their color--blue, orange, green, and yellow. One can also name one's monkey and personalize it's appearance--face, shirt, and shoes--which will probably make the game even more attractive to the younger crowd.

While the games are easily played even by young children--I played with a five-year-old and an eleven-year-old--the oral directions that precede each mini game are difficult to follow. Once you've played a game for 30 seconds you get it--the very young will require a bit of direction--but almost invariably we were all left wondering what we were supposed to do once the timer started.

The problem with the directions is the only negative I uncovered in some two hours of solid playtime, and once you've played the game once that negative disappears. It's a good family game because it can, as they say, be enjoyed by kids of all ages. We were all laughing aloud while playing. The game is rated E for everyone and it contains, the box notes, "crude humor" and "cartoon violence." True enough: there was implicit monkey flatulence and more than one monkey fell from a great height while saddled with an anvil. A few monkeys also were blown up and, as already noted, a number of squirrels were beaten about the head with over-sized mallets. But then again, those are the sorts of things we were laughing about most.

-- Debra Hamel

I'm no computer whiz, but within five minutes of opening the package, I had this game up and running. Getting started is the easy part, the hard part being putting down your game controller hours later.

What you need:

1. This product: CD plus four connected game controllers
2. A PS-2 system and a television
3. A memory card (You can play without it, but then you can't tally scores or save games)
4. 1 to 4 people

What to do:

1. Plug in the game controller by inserting the USB connector into the front of the PS-2 console.
2. Turn on the system and television
3. Insert memory card (if it isn't in already) or follow instructions if you don't have one.
4. Follow the instructions that pop up on your television
5. Make your game choices
6. Play

The games:

There are 25 mini-games in this package, each with excellent animation, and requiring no more skill than the ability to press buttons. Some games require players to push the colored buttons to choose color coded options, others just use the red "Buzz!" button, and some use all the buttons.

Each game is introduced with a voice over, and even if the instructions aren't always clear, it's quite easy to figure out what to do once the game gets going.

Players choose colored monkeys, or if you want to get fancy-shmancy, you can add your name and even change your costume. You can play single or multiplayer games or do practice runs. Depending on the level you choose - short, medium, long or marathon - you get a random selection of mini-games ranging from 5 - 25, and the object is to finish your level with the highest number of points. After each game, there is a summary to let you know where you stand (or fall).

If you like a certain group of games, you can customize your list to include only the ones you want to play.

Pros:
1. Anybody above the age of 5 should be able to play the games, even though some require a little more dexterity than others.
2. Set up is easy
3. The audio-visuals are excellent and funny
4. Cartoon violence only - a bit like Looney Tunes sometimes. Monkeys jump right back up after being smushed, bonked, splatted or dunked.
5. Playing with 2 - 4 players is hilarious - I laughed until I cried at times
6. The price is right (and you don't have to get your monkeys spayed or neutered)
7. If you have a memory card for this game, it can be stored in a handy slot in the CD case.
8. The instruction booklet is easy to read and understand


Cons:
1. You really do need that memory card (thank goodness I had one)
2. You can only play by yourself for so long before getting bored
3. Bed time may get pushed back, mainly because parents are having too much fun to stop.

Summary:
An excellent family game that will sharpen reflexes, improve dexterity and provide hours (and hours) of entertainment.



Amanda Richards, January 5, 2008